Dungeon Finder Needed Badly

[Nitewolfe]

Just want to pop in to say that everytime I log into the game, I spend like 20 mins looking for group and then end up logging off to do some boring dungeon in warcraft because I can. I dont even want to play wow, but I do because its easy to do stuff with a group of people. Im at the point where I dont even log in anymore and just go back to WoW and I dont even relaly like playing wow. I want to play SWTOR but its super frustrating

 

I hear ya man.. I sit here and play this while watching my wife bounce from wow to rift doing lfg zones constantly.

I do it myself at times since i have subs to both also,

 

With out a lfg system this game will fail in time.

[Bladesyphon]

And unless you're on a very low pop server spamming would not be necessary if people used the lfg system we have. It might not be as fast as 1-click auto-teleport tool, but it's not like the system is unable to get you a group, its the community that makes you unable to get a group with it.

 

Unless I'm missing something painfully obvious, the LFG system we have in the game right now is the atrocious thing that flags you for LFG, and allows you to set a 20-30 character comment, yes?

 

I'm afraid that isn't going to work, even if everyone used it, simply due to how the game's split up. On Harbinger, the majority of the playerbase (at least on the Republic Side) is either on the Fleet or on Illium. If you are anywhere else in the game, the current LFG interface doesn't work, as the player search system has two large limitations: the first being it truncates the list (usually to a max of 100 people), and that it's only capable of allowing you to see a pool of people on the planet you're currently on.

 

Right there are the two larger problems, not to mention that right now, it's simply easier to use the old school method of shouting in general to try to form a group than try to get a comment on what you want to do in a broken player search function.

 

As other posters have said: A LFG tool is simply the best fix to this in a game that's so heavily instanced and spread out. Zones aren't easy to navigate like in WoW to get you back to a capital city. You either use a 18 hour cool down or buy a vendor item that's only available to people with a Security Key to get to the Republic Fleet, and once there you're stuck shouting for a group instead of questing, as opposed to WoW or Lotro where you can use a designated global LFF (ala Lotro) or the zone's general chat for a group, since the zone usually contains the instance.

 

Yes, Bioware tried to resolve the latter issue by adding Flashpoint Couriers, but then the problem arises of "Well what Flashpoint are we looking for, are the other people on the planet in the same level range as the flash point I want to run?" In WoW, an Instance is tied directly with a zone in terms of what level it is (Deadmines to Westfall, levels 15-20 for example), so before the LFG tool, shouting in a zones general was a wonderful way to get a group for a leveling dungeon.

 

And of course, then there's the problem of wanting to do dailies whilest also wanting to do a dungeon. With the way the current LFG system is set up (again, unless I'm missing something here), it simply isn't viable to go to Belsavis or Illium, do your dailies while also LFG, since you never know how many people are going to be on either planet as opposed to the fleet at any given time, and even if there are people, it's a guarantee there will be less there than on the fleet for most servers.

 

A lack of LFG tool would be fine in Star Wars if the game had an easier to access capital city, and a built in global LFG channel that everyone can access right out of the gate. Star Wars has neither, and with how heavily instanced and spread out the game is already (not to mention that the Republic Fleet is the central hub for all but two Flashpoints), there's really no question anymore if a LFG isn't needed. It is, and it must be added, or there's going to be a lot of unhappy PvEers in the future.

 

Hell, Heroics Groups are more or less dead now on Harbinger outside of the level 50 daily ones on Belsavis and Illium simply because it's too hard to find a group for them on a leveling planet that may only have 20-30 people on at any given time.

[Manathayria]

I prefer it go cross server right off the bat but give those who want it single server a check box for server only groups.

 

With the option for single server there is no reason to not allow cross server.

Yea, I pref server only.... but at this point server only is like putting a band-aid over a sucking chest wound - it's not going to do a damn thing worth mentioning. Especially when looking at low pop/off peak hour play times.

 

Unless I'm missing something painfully obvious, the LFG system we have in the game right now is the atrocious thing that flags you for LFG, and allows you to set a 20-30 character comment, yes?

 

I'm afraid that isn't going to work, even if everyone used it, simply due to how the game's split up. On Harbinger, the majority of the playerbase (at least on the Republic Side) is either on the Fleet or on Illium. If you are anywhere else in the game, the current LFG interface doesn't work, as the player search system has two large limitations: the first being it truncates the list (usually to a max of 100 people), and that it's only capable of allowing you to see a pool of people on the planet you're currently on.

 

You can make it level specific, and make it level/AC specific.

 

IE: I searched "34 Mercenary" and got one on Taris, one on Nar Shadda and one on The Aurora. That said, this does not solve the issue if there's over 100 of a class and the one LFG is bumped off showing because there's too many.

 

The current system - if it weren't hidden, and people actually used it, would technically work.... but people don't tend to flag, so it's a useless system. I /who people that are posting LFG all the time and they're not flagged in the system.

 

I can't tell if you're LFG or LFM if you don't post it in the system - I just can't.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Manathayria

[chaosdefined]

But the current LFG system, as has been stated, still requires you to sit around waiting at the Fleet until a group can be formed.

 

What a lot of us want is the ability to continue levelling up on planets while either queued for a group for a FP or keeping an eye on a universal LFG channel.

[Manathayria]

But the current LFG system, as has been stated, still requires you to sit around waiting at the Fleet until a group can be formed.

 

What a lot of us want is the ability to continue levelling up on planets while either queued for a group for a FP or keeping an eye on a universal LFG channel.

Not exactly true. *if* they intended it to work like the LFG used in FFXI (which is exactly what it appears to mirror) you're able to run around with your LFG flag up and occasionally check /who to see who's looking for groups, who's looking for the instances you want, and form groups while out farming/questing with your flag up.

 

It works. It's worked in FFXI that way since 2002 in Japan or 2003 US - whichever you want to mark as the start of that game. That LFG system is still used in FFXI as far as I know, 10 years later.

 

In FFXI, to a point, how well you're known, how well you play your class etc, depends how fast you get a group, and determines, if you're the DPS that sits for the day with a flag up, or if you're the one that gets picked up as soon as you log on - if you're not the one forming your own groups to avoid the wait. Obviously class/class population plays into that. If you played the class that was most common/considered useless, even if you were an awesome player, you didn't get picked up unless you established a rep.

 

Mind you, in that game, if you ran a character up, that was your character - for all classes/jobs. IE my character was Nightfall - my jobs were... 68white mage (healer), 60 beastmaster, 40 red mage (healer/debuffs) .... If I got to be well known on the WHM job, when people searched my name and saw me on the others when they leveled other jobs, I was more likely to get picked up than the random guy that no one had really seen around before.

 

Now, this is pure speculation, however, I believe, what happens/happened in FFXI when I was playing, is what the devs for SWTOR wanted. With legacy titles helping with cross-character recognition for people knowing who they've grouped with and enjoyed grouping with once they get to where they're going.

 

The issue is that most players are not familiar with the LFG system, don't want to use it, or simply don't realize we have it. We all seem very reliant/set on the concept 'I have to spam LFG in a hub, or I won't get a group at all'. Many, I'm sure, also don't realize how far you can narrow those searches down to get the groups they want. The comments I've seen saying 'it shows who's in my zone, that's it' actually show that very clearly.

 

If a population doesn't use a tool because it's out-dated or because they don't know how, the tool is useless. In this case, TOR has both an out-dated system (I'll call it - I enjoyed it in FFXI.... however...), and one that people don't seem to understand how to fully use.

 

I'll call a spade a spade in this case. The system is/was dated, just because it works/worked for FFXI, does not mean it is ideal. My Ideal would be a dungeon finder which fills two needs.

 

1. Finding a group quickly

2. Helping low population servers(low population time) players find groups quickly

 

Which.... the best suggestion I've seen for that is the one with server only/optional cross server rolled into one LFFP system.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Manathayria

[Duncker]

WoW's LFD tool works. Copy it and change the font or something if you need to feel special(hint to BW).

 

I sat 4h in Vaiken dock at prime time on imperial side tonight and I managed to do one(!) BT hardmode.. And Imperials have the numbers on my server too.

 

I logged out in disgust and will not log back until there is a cross server LFHM and LFops tool.

[Esproc]

I can understand a Need for some sort of LFG/LDR/LFD tool for what may be low population servers or for those who are on when most of the population is sleeping.

 

We do have a LFG tool that is horrid and could use some work to make it easier and more viable for the server/s and people on.

 

I am not one for LFD/LFR tools that I have been a part of because they are abused in different ways.

 

There is no "community" from "your" server, and that leads to more anonymity and abuse that goes with being "unknown", and lacks the affect of being blacklisted from the overall community for your actions.

 

If, if, there is going to be a LFD/LFR/LFG cross server there Must be an Ignore that covers the cross server boundaries.

 

I will not Tank nor Heal for those that do not deserve my time.

Edited February 28, 2012 by Esproc

[davilorius]

And of course, then there's the problem of wanting to do dailies whilest also wanting to do a dungeon. With the way the current LFG system is set up (again, unless I'm missing something here), it simply isn't viable to go to Belsavis or Illium, do your dailies while also LFG, since you never know how many people are going to be on either planet as opposed to the fleet at any given time, and even if there are people, it's a guarantee there will be less there than on the fleet for most servers.

 

Exactly. A whole lot of ppl doing Ilum and Belsavis dailies would benefit since flashpoints are at the same progression stage.

Edited February 28, 2012 by davilorius
Grammar

[fallenellaf]

its pointless to say i agree and the reasons plus my opinion on this topic. Obviously this is needed.

And even if not needed people want it, so please do it ASAP.

[BlueSkittles]

Just posting here because my Consular is level 46 and as I get closer to 50, I dread the lack of a proper LFG tool. Please add this by 1.2 or at least give us a status update on it by then. Will it be in 1.3? Will it be cross-server? Will it have options for same-vs-cross server? Will it give me extra commendations to give extra incentive? Will it gently stroke...sorry wandered off there.

 

Just please communicate with us. I am a sad Jawa.

 

Maybe just hint that we'll know something by next week at the Guild Summit? That Stephen Reid will us some new info.

 

Please... I'll be good. Don't punish us anymore.

 

Don't make me use anymore icons to plead and beg.

 

 

(Wow, you can only use 20 images. Nice.)

[Obzenia]

What this game really needs at this point...is a Dungeon Finder. It was a huge success in other MMO's, no reason for it not to be in this game.

 

Pros:

 

1. Can continue questing while waiting for group to form.

2. Prevents trolls from sitting there ruining General Chat while they are bored trying to fill a group.

3. Proves that BioWare can do something like this. Buys street creds.

 

Cons:

 

1. Some people think it ruins the community...but I think they are wrong. They obviously have not sat for an hour trying to fill a Flashpoint group.

2. People who think like that are probably in a huge guild and have no trouble filling groups. We're usually filling 2-3 of 4 and just need that last role.

 

Pro #2 is false. It increases "trolls" likelyhood to sit and ruin General Chat because they are bored waiting for their FP to pop. If they were busy LFG, this would not happen.

 

Pro #3 is pointless. "Street creds?" Seriously?

 

Con #1 is opinionated.

 

Con #2 I'm not sure what you were referring to with "think like that". My guild has 3 people that are not in level range of each other and I have no problems filling/finding groups, because there are always people looking in General Chat on the Fleet.

[Pekish]

rushers need it to rush even faster...

 

low population may need it but it would better to close the server and merge it somewhere else...

 

 

bottom line there are other ways if possible to solve this

[Tatyanna-ti]

Was around 2001 when I was set down in Jueno waiting for a group...

After 12 years Bioware did not find a better solution than Square Enix in Final Fantasy XI?

 

Now I find myself in the same situation... flagged and sit down waiting for a group, unable to do anything else... this gives me the feeling of wasting my time!

 

If Bioware is anable to create a proper tools... at least can do a FLG Channel that can work like a Global Chat, so you can looking for a group while questing...

 

But, while in FFXI you had to go to Jueno for several reasons, we do not have any reason to go to the Fleet, and this is the reason why not have a LFG tools is, for me, a game design error.

 

And please explain to me how to write "LFG for XXXFP" in a chat that you can read only if you are on the fleet, helps to socialize...

 

(sorry for my terrible english ^^

[Tifadore]

Just want to pop in to say that everytime I log into the game, I spend like 20 mins looking for group and then end up logging off to do some boring dungeon in warcraft because I can. I dont even want to play wow, but I do because its easy to do stuff with a group of people. Im at the point where I dont even log in anymore and just go back to WoW and I dont even relaly like playing wow. I want to play SWTOR but its super frustrating

 

This is just how it is for me, especially when not peak time. I actually have not subscriebed for wow yet, but I am very close to... God, I do so not want to return to that, this game is so much better! I just ain't motivated to start forming groups anymore, especially when there is nothing else to do meanwhile, like fishing or dueling.

[Nitewolfe]

So i am up to 4 level 50's now. No i did not rush i didnt space bar thru the quest, I played them all just normally.

My game consist of running dailies on 4 toons the logging off to run cross server lfg in rift with my wife.

Log back in at raid times and log off.

3 of the 4 toons have never seen the inside of a instance other than raid ops.

 

Beginning to think a lot of that 200 hour play time they said it take was sitting in fleet spamming for a group.

[Archeaon]

They really do need to implement a dungeon finder for this game, end game feels stagnate largely due to long wait times for hard mode flash points and lock out timers. I don't see any real reason not to have one, the people who are against the dungeon finder can still form their own groups or run with guilds I just don't see why the rest of the community should suffer because a handful of people don't want a dungeon finder when they don't have to use it.

[BlueSkittles]

More updates from a dev interview about cross-server PVP, which I add here because I'm sure it in some way relates to LFG...hopefully.

 

Interview with Gabe Amantangelo basically says cross-server PVP is coming in phase two of pvp changes (later than 1.2).

 

http://www.askajedi.com/2012/03/01/gabe-amatangelo-interview-add-ons-combat-log-cross-server-ranked-pvp-more/

 

So there you go. Not until at least patch 1.3...many, many months from now.

[theelderfishh]

I for one think a LFD is a great addition, mostly because while leveling and gaining access to a new flashpoint(which I have already experienced all on my main toon) I am required to go to fleet and sit in /1 spamming for a group. When instead I could be on my quest planet experiencing the engrossing, fun storyline that Bioware created for my class. Instead I'm dealing with trolls and spamming the same thing over and over sometimes for over an hour. That, in my opinion is not fun. However, there is a LFG tool already in place. But it is poorly designed. One suggestion, is that if you mark yourself as LFG, your name and LFG comment should be visible on EVERY planet. Not just the /who location that you are on. I should be able to do my daily quests in Ilum and see that there is a tank and dps that complement my healer role sitting in Fleet looking for the same HM flashpoint that I am. Then i can PST them and see if they are still looking. Just a quick fix like that could vastly improve the grouping experience.

[Sandtrooper]

Please be in 1.2, oh please god please.

 

Please.

 

 

Sand

[Gardoch]

If an improved LFG system isn't implemented soon I don't think that there will be a community to preserve, which seems to be the primary argument against such a tool.

 

My 29 shadow tank, who I have played fairly casually since prerelease, i.e., 1 or 2 nights a week for 4-6 hours at a time has run exactly 0 FPs and completed 0 group quests in a group at the appropriate level.

 

Why?

 

It is simply too difficult, or perhaps more accurately, too inconvenient to find a group.

 

Every night that I log on I immediately /cjoin lfg on my server and flag myself lfg for any level appropriate FPs and quests, thus far I have never been in a group that has successfully stepped into the instance. We came close once, but after sitting at 3 members looking for a healer for an hour with no luck, I had to leave.

 

I also actively play the game that so many around here love to bash, you know the one. While I'm not looking for the same experience, I can't help but compare the two games. I log into this game and while I love the solo content, I have yet to experience any sort of group game play. Whereas, with the other game, when I log on I am guaranteed to find a group within a certain time frame, regardless of role, and every group, at least in my experience has been generally good. So, I log out of that game having had a usually fun and meaningful group experience, whereas, every night I log out of this game thinking that I should have just played Skyrim.

 

With this game I feel like I'm playing a single player game. I'm just questing on my own with my companions trying to level as quickly as I can. I don't feel like tanking for my healer companion is teaching me enough about how to handle groups of mobs, at least not at the same level that getting regular FP groups would. I'm afraid that I will hit 50 and have to respec DPS simply because I don't know how to effectively tank even though that is my preferred role.

 

All in all it seems like Bioware had an idea of how they wanted their game and it's community to be, unfortunately it doesn't seem like they adapted their vision beyond mid BC, while the MMO community has moved on. Don't get me wrong I loved that era in terms of difficulty and gameplay, but until you found yourself in a regular group it was hell trying to advance your character especially if you weren't one of the most sought after roles and/or specs.

 

I hold out hope that this game will get better at 50 when I catch up to my friends and guildies from that other game. At least I know that they will put up with, and understand why I'm such a noob at tanking.

[Touchbass]

Well in 2 days my account will finally roll over, I won't resub. As it stands, I'm in one of the more popular servers and still can't find groups for the planet heroics at all. Whenever I'm in fleet the majority of advertisements for "LFM Heroic X" requires gear levels at or above the threshold for heroics. With this kind of rampant elitism and a total vacant world while leveling I don't see a point paying to support these kind of development decisions.

 

I was debating holding over to the March patch but I don't see the point. Adding legacy stuff will just be races/early speeder/some other appearance stuff and the only thing I'm going to be interested in is a 5% exp boost or something similar. Adding another ops/flashpoint when I don't do them already is a complete waste of time. In fact do we even know if it's coming in March??

 

Bioware has made a lot of mistakes with the releasing of this game, I can understand not wanting cross server but there should of been some consideration for people on low population/low faction/off peak times for assembling teams. Apparently other features are important then the quality of our gaming experience and that just astounds me. Furthermore, I loved the leveling in this game, enough to justify the purchase. How in Gods name did they make it so linear and redundant? I love alts but I can't justify doing the same content over and over again with little variation. Worst is with every alt I level it becomes more difficult to form teams and it becomes a bigger waste of my time.

 

 

TLDR: I'll be back in 6 months when they make positive changes to the game.

 

EDIT: Farewell Blueskittles, Maglinx, Ferroz, Errox, Nitewolf and many others whose discussion and forum enjoyment made my time spent in SWTOR that much better. If only we had a cross server so we could group together.

 

EDIT 2: Could anyone recommend any free MMORPG's with a decent trial? I don't want to drop cash on another MMORPG until I try it extensively.

Edited March 2, 2012 by Touchbass

[chaosdefined]

Whenever I'm in fleet the majority of advertisements for "LFM Heroic X" requires gear levels at or above the threshold for heroics. With this kind of rampant elitism and a total vacant world while leveling I don't see a point paying to support these kind of development decisions.

 

That will sadly never change, it's always been present in MMO's.

 

Gear Level, iLevel, Gear Score or even just simply inspecting someone's gear, and what it usually boils down to is if you need gear from the dungeon the group doesn't want you.

 

These groups are usually created by people who need the gear themselves, and so to maximise the chances they will get everything they want and have an easy time being taken through, they'll only take people who are too well geared for it.

 

Unfortunately the Dev's can not change player attitudes.

[DeadlyScythe]

just do what we do on Legion of Lettow. Make a LFG channel that works over the whole server. works perfect

[chaosdefined]

just do what we do on Legion of Lettow. Make a LFG channel that works over the whole server. works perfect

 

Which would be great if everyone joined it. But then that would require you to sit spamming General Chat on all planets and Fleet telling people about it. And then that's only if they join it or remember about it.

 

But more to the point, why should the player go to so much effort doing something the dev's should have.

[Touchbass]

Which would be great if everyone joined it. But then that would require you to sit spamming General Chat on all planets and Fleet telling people about it. And then that's only if they join it or remember about it.

 

But more to the point, why should the player go to so much effort doing something the dev's should have.

 

Yeah, Bioware basically telling me that all the time I've wasted LFG is working as intended was the last straw